I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding neutrality. On Tuesday, 28 November 2023, on the question, "That the amendment to the amendment be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), that division must be taken now.
Neutrality: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]
The following motion was moved by Deputy Matt Carthy on Tuesday, 28 November 2023:
That Dáil Éireann:
recognises:
— that Irish neutrality has served us well, allowing Ireland to play a constructive role in the world, contributing to nuclear non-proliferation, disarmament, humanitarianism, and peacekeeping missions; and
— the bravery and courage of Irish peacekeepers currently deployed around the world, and in particular those serving with the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL) and United Nations Disengagement Observer Force (UNDOF) in the Golan Heights;
notes that:
— the rejection by the Irish people of both the Nice I and Lisbon I referenda were informed in part by their concerns that those treaties of the European Union would diminish Ireland's traditional policy of military neutrality;
— the response of the Irish Government to these concerns in advance of the subsequent Nice II referendum was outlined in the Seville Declaration on the Treaty of Nice, wherein the Government of Ireland made "a firm commitment to the people of Ireland, solemnized in this Declaration, that a referendum will be held in Ireland on the adoption of any such decision and on any future Treaty which would involve Ireland departing from its traditional policy of military neutrality";
— the Seville Declaration further reiterated "that the participation of contingents of the Irish Defence Forces in overseas operations, including those carried out under the European security and defence policy, requires (a) the authorisation of the operation by the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations, (b) the agreement of the Irish Government and (c) the approval of Dáil Éireann, in accordance with Irish law";
— the response of the Irish Government to these concerns in advance of the subsequent Lisbon II referendum was outlined through the Irish Guarantee on the Lisbon Treaty, wherein through national declaration, Ireland reiterated "that the participation of contingents of the Irish Defence Forces in overseas operations, including those carried out under the European Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) requires (a) the authorisation of the operation by the Security Council or the General Assembly of the United Nations, (b) the agreement of the Irish Government, and (c) the approval of Dáil Éireann, in accordance with Irish law";
— the national declaration contained within the Irish Guarantee on the Lisbon Treaty further declared that Ireland would participate only in European Defence Agency projects or programmes "that contribute to enhancing the capabilities required for participation in UN-mandated missions for peace-keeping, conflict prevention and strengthening international security, in accordance with the principles of the United Nations Charter";
— on 25th June, 2013, An Tánaiste, Micheál Martin TD, in a statement to the Dáil stated "It appears that Fine Gael is arguing that Ireland is failing in its European responsibilities and is allowing Russia and China to have a veto over our peacekeeping activities. This is nothing more than an out-of-touch ideological obsession on the part of Fine Gael which ignores the facts of Ireland's international standing";
— the Fianna Fáil 2020 General Election Manifesto stated under the heading "Fully maintain neutrality and the Triple Lock" that "Fianna Fáil reaffirms its commitment to the retention of the triple lock of UN mandate or authorisation, Government and Dáil approval, prior to committing Defence Forces personnel on overseas service. Ireland has correctly conferred primacy to the UN since joining in 1955, working with other UN members in supporting international action in areas such as disarmament, peacekeeping across its full spectrum, humanitarian/development actions and human rights implementation. We will fully maintain neutrality and the triple lock mechanism";
— the current Programme for Government: Our Shared Future commits this Government to "ensure that all overseas operations will be conducted in line with our position of military neutrality and will be subject to a triple lock of UN, Government and Dáil Éireann approval";
— an IPSOS/MRBI poll of 15th April, 2022, showed two-thirds of voters did not want to see any change in neutrality "generally understood as…[requiring] a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution for Irish troops to be committed abroad"; and
— the Report of the Chair on the Consultative Forum on International Security Policy stated that "A considerable majority of those who spoke or wrote on this topic expressed the view that there is presently no public appetite for a change to the current position on neutrality";
further notes that:
— the Government is presiding over a worsening recruitment and retention crisis that is seeing more members leaving than are recruited to the Permanent Defence Forces on a yearly basis;
— there are currently 7,671 members of the Permanent Defence Forces, against an establishment figure of 9,600, and a Level of Ambition 2 (LOA2) contained in the Report of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces requirement of 11,500;
— arising from this worsening recruitment and retention crisis, the Naval Service can currently only put between one and two ships to sea to patrol and secure Irish waters;
— Ireland currently lacks the primary radar which is a pre-requisite to adequately monitoring activity in Irish skies;
— LOA2, as outlined within the Report of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces, required a need of investment of €246.5 million annually over ten years and that the Government fell short of this investment by €70 million in 2023, and will also fail to meet this target by €70 million in 2024; and
— the Government has decided to withdraw Irish Defence Forces participation from the UNDOF mission to the Golan Heights, to which Ireland has contributed over 2,700 troops within the past decade; and
calls on Government to:
— adequately fund the Defence Forces in 2024, to meet the minimum requirements outlined within LOA2 of the Report of the Commission on the Future of the Defence Forces;
— review the decision of Government to withdraw Irish participation in the UNDOF mission to the Golan Heights;
— establish a Citizens' Assembly tasked with agreeing a wording of a constitutional amendment to enshrine the principle of neutrality in the Constitution of Ireland;
— engage with EU institutions and member states with a view to recognising the integrity of neutral states within the EU treaties, should a constitutional amendment be carried;
— ensure that members of the Irish Defence Forces deployed on overseas missions do so with a mandate from the UN; and
— ensure that any proposed substantive change to Ireland's neutral status, particularly the removal of neutrality protections such as the so-called triple lock, be put directly before the Irish people through referendum.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1 to amendment No. 1:
To insert the following after "systems and structures to address these":
"calls on the Government to:
— introduce a Bill for a referendum to insert Irish neutrality and a policy of non-membership of military alliances and not allowing its territory to be used by other states to transport war material or personnel to third countries for the purpose of war or other armed conflict into the Constitution; and
— close Shannon Airport to United States (US) military and US military contracted aircraft, including troop carriers".
- (Deputy Paul Murphy).
Amendment to amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 46; Níl, 74; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nash, Ged.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Níl
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Collins, Michael.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Richard Boyd Barrett and Paul Murphy; Níl, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin.
Amendment to amendment declared lost.
Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:
To delete all words after "That Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:
"agrees that:
— the Government reiterates Ireland's longstanding policy of military neutrality;
— Ireland's neutrality is characterised by non-membership of military alliances or common or mutual defence arrangements;
— the Government has no plans to join a military alliance or enter into a mutual defence arrangement so a referendum enshrining Ireland's neutrality is not necessary;
— Ireland's foreign policy is informed by an active approach towards peace support operations and crisis management;
— Ireland's contributions to conflict resolution and peacebuilding, and work for human rights and development, and our efforts to promote disarmament and the elimination of weapons of mass destruction, are internationally renowned;
— Ireland has a long and proud tradition of international engagement, including through participation in United Nations (UN) and UN-mandated, as well as European Union (EU)-led peacekeeping missions;
— members of Ireland's Defence Forces continue to contribute bravely to peacekeeping and crisis management efforts, particularly in the Middle East, as well as elsewhere in the world; and
— Ireland also supports a strong EU role in supporting the maintenance of international peace and security and engages actively in the European Union’s Common Security and Defence Policy;
notes that:
— the Government convened a Consultative Forum on International Security Policy from 22nd-26th June, 2023, with a view to building public understanding and generating discussions on Ireland's foreign, security and defence policies;
— this report was recently submitted and published on 17th October;
— this report highlights the pride in Ireland's role in the world in peacekeeping and peacebuilding, as well as a broad consensus on the importance of continued international engagement; and
— this report also demonstrates a clear recognition that Ireland faces new and emerging threats, including in cyberspace and in the maritime domain, the value of working with EU and like-minded partners in these and other areas, and the need for investment in our Defence Forces;
recognises that:
— the multilateral system remains our strongest protection and the State's most important security asset;
— nevertheless, as a highly globalised country, Ireland cannot rely on our geographic isolation for our security, nor isolate ourselves from world events;
— the systemic challenges facing the UN Security Council, including the increased use of, and threat of the use of, the veto by Permanent Members of the Security Council, which directly impact on our role in international peacekeeping, oblige us to reconsider and change our existing legislation on the despatch of Defence Forces personnel overseas;
— any such legislative changes would reassert Ireland's sovereign decision-making processes, while safeguarding the essential link between international law and the UN Charter, in a manner which would allow us to respond to crisis situations with more agility;
— Ireland's policy of military neutrality is respected by our fellow European Member States and the protocols attached to the Lisbon Treaty continue to fully reflect this; and
— amending the Triple Lock legislation in relation to the deployment of our Defence Forces to peacekeeping missions will have no impact on this policy of military neutrality, and that no other EU Member State, including other neutral Member States, allow permanent Security Council members to bind their hands in the way that the Triple Lock effectively does for Ireland; and
further agrees that the Government:
— is committed to supporting the global multilateral system, to vocally defending international law, particularly international humanitarian law, and human rights;
— will continue to contribute actively to peacebuilding efforts internationally, building on and reflecting our own experience on this island, including through the new Peace and Stability Unit in the Department of Foreign Affairs;
— is committed to the positive transformation of our Defence Forces into a modern, agile military force, capable of responding to increasingly complex security threats, with investment in its people, infrastructure, capabilities and culture, through the High-Level Action Plan to progress the recommendations of the Commission on the Defence Forces, the associated Detailed Implementation Plan and the Strategic Framework for the Transformation of the Defence Forces;
— will continue to broaden and deepen our engagement with international partners in a manner consistent with our policy of military neutrality, whether through the EU's Common Security and Defence Policy or NATO's Partnership for Peace, which we have been a member of since 1999, particularly in tackling new and emerging threats in the cyber, hybrid or maritime domains; and
— will also work on our national security arrangements and ensure they are fit for purpose in an increasingly complex and unpredictable world, including through the delivery of a National Security Strategy that will set out the threat environment and the systems and structures to address these.".
- (Deputy Peter Burke, Minister of State at the Department of Foreign Affairs).
I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding neutrality. On Tuesday, 28 November 2023, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 80(2), that division must be taken now.
Amendment put:
The Dáil divided: Tá, 72; Níl, 51; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nash, Ged.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Matt Carthy.
Amendment declared carried.
Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."
The Dáil divided: Tá, 73; Níl, 52; Staon, 0.
Tá
- Brophy, Colm.
- Browne, James.
- Bruton, Richard.
- Butler, Mary.
- Cahill, Jackie.
- Calleary, Dara.
- Canney, Seán.
- Cannon, Ciarán.
- Carroll MacNeill, Jennifer.
- Chambers, Jack.
- Costello, Patrick.
- Coveney, Simon.
- Creed, Michael.
- Crowe, Cathal.
- Devlin, Cormac.
- Dillon, Alan.
- Duffy, Francis Noel.
- Durkan, Bernard J.
- English, Damien.
- Farrell, Alan.
- Feighan, Frankie.
- Fitzpatrick, Peter.
- Flaherty, Joe.
- Flanagan, Charles.
- Fleming, Sean.
- Foley, Norma.
- Grealish, Noel.
- Griffin, Brendan.
- Harris, Simon.
- Haughey, Seán.
- Heydon, Martin.
- Higgins, Emer.
- Kehoe, Paul.
- Lahart, John.
- Lawless, James.
- Leddin, Brian.
- Madigan, Josepha.
- Martin, Catherine.
- Matthews, Steven.
- McAuliffe, Paul.
- McConalogue, Charlie.
- McEntee, Helen.
- McGuinness, John.
- McHugh, Joe.
- Moynihan, Aindrias.
- Moynihan, Michael.
- Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
- Naughton, Hildegarde.
- Noonan, Malcolm.
- O'Brien, Darragh.
- O'Brien, Joe.
- O'Callaghan, Jim.
- O'Connor, James.
- O'Dea, Willie.
- O'Donnell, Kieran.
- O'Donovan, Patrick.
- O'Dowd, Fergus.
- O'Gorman, Roderic.
- O'Sullivan, Christopher.
- O'Sullivan, Pádraig.
- Ó Cathasaigh, Marc.
- Ó Cuív, Éamon.
- Phelan, John Paul.
- Rabbitte, Anne.
- Richmond, Neale.
- Ring, Michael.
- Ryan, Eamon.
- Shanahan, Matt.
- Smith, Brendan.
- Smyth, Niamh.
- Smyth, Ossian.
- Stanton, David.
- Troy, Robert.
Níl
- Andrews, Chris.
- Bacik, Ivana.
- Barry, Mick.
- Boyd Barrett, Richard.
- Brady, John.
- Browne, Martin.
- Buckley, Pat.
- Cairns, Holly.
- Carthy, Matt.
- Clarke, Sorca.
- Collins, Michael.
- Conway-Walsh, Rose.
- Cronin, Réada.
- Crowe, Seán.
- Cullinane, David.
- Doherty, Pearse.
- Donnelly, Paul.
- Farrell, Mairéad.
- Funchion, Kathleen.
- Gannon, Gary.
- Guirke, Johnny.
- Healy-Rae, Michael.
- Howlin, Brendan.
- Kelly, Alan.
- Kenny, Gino.
- Kenny, Martin.
- Kerrane, Claire.
- Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
- McGrath, Mattie.
- McNamara, Michael.
- Mitchell, Denise.
- Munster, Imelda.
- Murphy, Catherine.
- Murphy, Paul.
- Nash, Ged.
- O'Callaghan, Cian.
- O'Donoghue, Richard.
- O'Reilly, Louise.
- O'Rourke, Darren.
- Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
- Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
- Ó Ríordáin, Aodhán.
- Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
- Pringle, Thomas.
- Quinlivan, Maurice.
- Ryan, Patricia.
- Shortall, Róisín.
- Smith, Duncan.
- Stanley, Brian.
- Tóibín, Peadar.
- Tully, Pauline.
- Whitmore, Jennifer.
Staon
Tellers: Tá, Deputies Hildegarde Naughton and Cormac Devlin; Níl, Deputies Pádraig Mac Lochlainn and Matt Carthy.
Question declared carried.